Weetzie Bat by Francesca Lia Block [book]
New York : Harper & Row, c198988 p. ; 22 cm
ISBN: 0060205342
Plot Summary:
Weetzie lives in magical L.A. with her mother looking for the man of her dreams (her duck). She is rebel pixie, an outsider in school but when she meets her best friend Dirk she finds her life long friend in him. Dirk is gay and they become inseparable, going to visit Dirk's family and in the process Weetzie receives a magic lamp that grants her 3 wishes. She wishes for a duck for Dirk, a secret lover agent man for herself, and somewhere for them to live. They soon receive a cottage to live in and the men that they asked for and live together in a fantasy life.
When Weetzie is in a plot to become pregnant and succeeds, the man of her dreams leaves her and gets another woman pregnant (unknown to Weetzie). He eventually returns to her permanently but his past girlfriend returns to their life leaving them with the child that they take in reluctantly to raise. They become a family with numerous fathers, children from different mothers, and enough love to go around. Others may not understand their lifestyle, but they are together in their efforts of love and happiness. Dirk's leading man also leaves them for San Francisco when someone close to him in life dies of AIDS. Dirk goes to him in San Francisco and they show their love for another and end up together. It is a happily ever after with a whimsical twist.
Critical Evaluation:
This book carries themes that are important still in today's culture- acceptance, mixed families, love, and understanding. The language that the book uses is colorful and unique for the time period that it takes place in L.A. (a good example of the slang is slinkster cool). I love that Dirk could be deemed an outsider, but he is not because he is with Weetzie and they have a family of their own; the only part of it that made me sad was the fact that they needed to make wishes from a magical lamp in order to start their goals and their happiness in the story. I like that there is a whimsical sense to the novel, but that it is littered with real problems and heartache (abandonment, homosexuality, AIDS) because it makes it feel like one can relate to it.
Reader's Annotation:
Quirky Weetzie is in L.A. and living a fantasy life with her best friend and the men of their dreams, but not without life's complications.
Websites to Look Into:
http://www.francescaliablock.com/
The Author:
Fun facts about Francesca Lia Block is that she wrote Weetzie Bat (her first book) while she was a student at UC Berkeley, and she wrote her book "Guarding the Moon" about her daughter.
Awards:
ALA Best of the Best Books for Young Adults
ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers
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ALA Best Book for Young Adults
Parents' Choice Gold Award
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Similar Books:
"Dangerous Angels" by Francesca Lia Block
"Witch Baby" by Francesca Lia Block
"Speak" by Laurie Halse Anderson
Booktalking Ideas:
Talking about all of the books that have been made in the series
Why it is important to have a fun novel that shows such strong themes of family and friends
Genre:
Classic/ Romance
Interest Age:
15-19 yrs.
Challenge Issues:
Homosexuality
This book does have strong themes of homosexuality, and it also speaks about AIDS. I would say that it is important to understand that there are people who are different and it to understand people's identities and real world problems that come with them.
Why this Book?
This book sparked controversy in a generation and made many themes of fantasy life, homosexuality, family and friends prominent and did it in a fun, edgy way that made young adults respond to it.
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